Letter: Gosar owes constituents

At the open public forum of the June 20 City Council meeting, I petitioned the Kingman City Council to put Rep. Paul Gosar “on notice” that if he continues to maintain and enforce a public policy that denies Constitutional rights of Kingman residents, then the City of Kingman will evict him from the 4th Street City Annex.

The City Annex is public property that belongs to the people of Kingman, residents and constituents who deserve to have their Constitutional rights protected and defended by their elected government officials, not permanently denied with no explanation or accountability.

The City of Kingman currently leases office space in the City Annex to Rep. Gosar, who has been arbitrarily denying 1st Amendment free speech and public protest rights to his constituents through blocks on his official government social media.

In addition to the violation of basic Constitutional rights, a Facebook block also creates a permanent ban from equal participation in Rep. Gosar’s Facebook town halls, the only town halls in which he participates these days.

Not only does Rep. Gosar’s social media policy betray the Constitution and betray his oath of office, it creates a relationship with the City of Kingman that violates the City Municipal Code (the fiduciary relationship between the City of Kingman and its residents) on at least two points.

How would tourism be affected if one of the bullet points on the city’s tourism brochures stated the fact that the City of Kingman is supporting the local Congressman who is denying the Constitutional rights of Kingman residents?

And, what about economic growth and development? How many people would choose to move to a city if they knew their Constitutional rights were at risk of being permanently denied by their congressman?

When I moved to Kingman three years ago, I had no idea that I had moved into a congressional district with a representative whose public policy would deny his constituents their basic Constitutional rights – would deny my rights – but it happened.

I didn’t ask for this battle. But as a Kingman resident who has been blocked by my congressman, it offends me to my core that the City of Kingman is providing Rep. Gosar office space where he engages in the everyday business of denying his constituents their Constitutional rights.

So, the council members have a choice to make.

Is the City of Kingman going to stand with Rep. Gosar and his public policy that denies Kingman residents their Constitutional rights? Or, is the City of Kingman going to uphold its fiduciary responsibility to its residents and stand with the Constitution of the United States?